I just finished watching the excellent documentary by Charles Ferguson, No End in Sight [ official | Wiki | IMDb ] and it really got me thinking. Now, I try not to discuss politics of any sort here because the subject as a whole aggravates me, and I’m not about to change that policy now. With that said, when looking at a subject as wide in scope and breadth as this film, it can make one — as it has for me — reflect on their own life and realize just how insignificant the errata really is.

We all play the victim sometimes. Truth be told, I’m probably guilty of this more than most, but perhaps not as much as some. It’s the American way, after all: blame an “evil” corporation or group or person for something you’ve done wrong. We tend to look for an external cause because it’s easier than turning the judgmental focus around and really and truly looking at what it is within us that makes us sabotage ourselves, that keeps us behind.

I’m not suggesting that I have an answer to this question. I don’t. What I do know is that at the end of the day whenever we go to sleep, most of us — and I’m definitely in this group more than I’d like to admit — don’t take a moment beforehand to reflect and think on how truly great we, as Americans, have it. We take things for granted. We manipulate the world around us to fit our ideal. We pursue every advantage by any means possible, and then we whine and cry when things don’t go our way.

And it’s always someone else’s fault.

Have you ever noticed that generally the only one present at a pity party is the host? Probably. But that doesn’t stop us from doing it. We find comfort in this, and we will continue to. I’m sure I will for some time after I finish this post, despite my words here. I suppose that, to some degree, it’s human nature.

I have problems. So do you. Everyone does. But we must not lose sight of the important things. Sure, life sucks and whatnot, and sometimes others do sabotage you and sometimes it’s your own fault, and sometimes you just can’t get ahead. But you’ve still got ten fingers and ten toes and oxygen still runs through your body and hopefully, you’ll still wake up tomorrow. Without those little things, the “big” things that aggravate are insignificant.

If all of us who are lucky enough to live the way we do could remember that simple fact more often, there’s no telling how far that would take us.